Category Archives: Launches

Sea Rover

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Sea Rover

SEA ROVER

Photos & detail ex trademe

Was built by the Lane Motor Boat Company (Panmure) in 1960. Kauri carvel planked, 44’6” in length with a beam of 10’5” & drawing 4’3”. She is powered by a 120 hp Lees Marine Ford. The addition of the fly bridge / 2nd helm has been done by someone with a good eye & does not clash with the original Lane lines, the same can not be said for the bimini. I’m sure its very practical but does it need to be so tall.

Anyone able to supply more on her past.

UPDATE from Brian Worthington

In the ‘old’ photo above she was then owned by Maurie Condor  of Tauranga. Previous owner was Maurice Deadman  an Apiarist from Okoroire.

Lola

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LOLA
No not the plane, even though technically its a boat.
photo ex Ken Ricketts

This one might test you all. Anyone able to name & supply details on the launch behind Fred Ladd’s Grumman Widgeon ? It was the Connell family’s transport from Waiheke Island to the rest of the world when they owned the store in Connell’s Bay. Ken recalls they owned the boat from at least the 1940’s to 1987 & the photo most likely was take in the mid 1950 > 1960s period.

Harold Kidd Update

LOLA is 100% correct. Will Connell renamed her LOLA after his daughter when he bought her from John Pegler c1924. She was built by Bailey & Lowe in late 1909 for Jas. Gordon of Awaawaroa as BEATRICE. He sold her to Pegler c1920 and he renamed her EDNA after his daughter.
Connell sold her to Tom Beck c1953 when he closed the shop at Connells. She later became unrecognisable with a raked stem and a counter stern.

Roger Guthrie Update (28/08/14)

W.E.Connell was the father of Eric & Les Connell.Eric survived his brother Les.During the late 50’s and on into the 80’s Eric and his wife stayed on at the bay.They had run the store and milked the cows,sold fuel etc.While Les had run the farm.,They used Lola to ferry us and many other families to and from the Baroona and Motonui which would just stop offshore for us to jump aboard Lola.Sometimes on calm days we were plucked of the ferry in their 16ft clinker dinghy. From about 1958 Eric’s daughter LOMA often ran the LOLA on the various ferry pick ups.The 16ft clinker rowing dinghys were also used by Ernest Chamberlin who picked passengers for his end of Ponui off the ferry as well…Lola would just nudge onto the beach and we could jump off the bow onto the sand.

2014 photos of Lola ex trademe

Rosemary

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Rosemary- 1925 Anniversary Regatta.

ROSEMARY – but which one?

Feature photo & background info ex Harold Kidd.Ozone & Rosemary photo ex classicboatsnz. Other photos & email ex Melvin Adams

There has been a lot of chat / debate recently on ww concerning the the launch Rosemary in regard to her origins & what became of her over the years. Things are complicated by the fact that there have been / still are several Rosemarys out there. You can read the chat here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/08/27/ozone-rosemary/comment-page-1/#comment-11545

Todays post is focussing on the launch that was built in St.Mary’s Bay by Leon Warne in December 1920 for himself and his brother George and was taken north for game-fishing out of Russell. The Warne brothers then set up boatbuilding, repairs as well as gameboat chartering at Russell. Rosemary originally had a Scripps 4 cylinder but was later fitted with a Redwing. She was one of several launches that were very successful in promoting the deep sea angling sport in the Bay of Islands, both from Russell and Whangaroa.
Rosemary was originally launched as a dashing flushdecker. As pictured in the photo above from “N Z Vintage Launches”  of her on the Waitemata in the 1925 Anniversary Regatta.

Enter Melvin Adams who has a launch named Rosemary, moored in Mill Bay Mangonui. Melvin has owned the boat for approx 10 years & has been tracking her past & is confident that his Rosemary is the same boat (Leon Warne) pictured above. She has a more ‘spacious’ cabin these days.  One of Melvin’s photos below indicates the areas where he can clearly see the areas where portholes used to be.
Below is a photo montage showing Rosemary thru-out the years – I’ll let you be the judge if Melvin’s Rosemary is the Warne built ex game boat.

Make sure you read the e-mail from one of her previous owners – Don Jansen to Melvin , is a good tale of life as a ‘commercial’ fisherman.

As always – click on photos to enlarge 🙂

WAINUI (II)

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#2506

WAINUI (II)

There as been a lot of activity in comments section of ww in regard to Wainui. The original story I posted on her back in June 2013 under the headline ‘Getting Hooked’ told the tale of her current owner Phil Parks & how he came to own the classic wooden launch Wainui. Its a good story & can be viewed at the link below  –

Getting Hooked

Last Friday the post popped up again & we uncovered some insight into her past & some wonderful details & photos from Harold Kidd. Phil Parks advised that the restoration project was now scheduled to start in late 2014, aside from other things in life getting in the way, there was a wee oops that saw Wainui sink at her mooring.

Firstly a brief history of WAINUI II 

  1. Built by Joe Slattery c1924 for E.O. Ward.
  2. Wrecked on Rangitoto February 1936 and badly damaged.
  3. Ward sold to Val Maxwell, teacher at King’s College, as a wreck. Maxwell rebuilds probably close to present configuration.
  4. Maxwell sells 1939.
  5. Later owners include Sandy Searle 1967-72, then Dr. Ranginui Walker 1972, gap of 3 years then John Hobden 1977-81, Stan Bayer 1981-84, N Amos 1984-7, Ken Meyer 1987-90.
  6. Capt. John Harrison (ex-skipper of HMNZS TUI), Harold has fond memories of the TUI wardroom, bought her at Sandspit 1990 in poor condition with 40hp Ford Ebro. Orams rebuilt her substantially 1991-2. John renamed her Tilikum and kept her at Parua Bay then sold shortly after and went back to sail.

 

Photo Gallery of WAINUI II

# 2507 was taken in 1928 alongside the Bayswater Wharf. Note the steam trams.

#2507

# 2505 shows her being launched for the season from Bailey & Lowe’s. This pic was used in the Herald on 24/10/30. The yacht on the right is almost certainly Ladye Wilma on Heartseae’s cradle.

#2505

# 2506 shows her on the rocks at Rangitoto in February 1936 (same image as used in the header)

# 2509 she’s at Lees at Sandpit in April 1990 when John Harrison bought her, looking fine but seriously rotten.

#2509

# 2508 at Orams in Whangarei under major reconstruction in April 1991.

#2508

# NZ Herald 4 Feb 1936 (Papers Past) – high on the rocks at Rangitoto. The 6 occupants were washed out of the cockpit, with  2 females being injured.

# NZ Herald 6 Feb 1936 (Papers Past) – showing the extensive damage she sustained.

NZH PP 06/02/36

# Current Photo 2013 (low res image)

 

 

Adi Kuila (Ma Cherie)

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ADI KUILA (Ma Cherie)

For the last 6 years Adi Kuila has been undergoing a rolling restoration by her owner, Markham Thomson . The information he has on her says she was built by Lanes in 1965 & is 53′ LOA, 15′ beam, 4’3″ draft. Twin engined.
She spent time in Fiji in the 1980’s > 1990’s. There is a suspicion she has had a name change along the way. Correct

Owner is keen to get more info on her past & confirmation builder / year.

UPDATE

Lots of chat in the comments section but sometimes ww just rocks.

Scott Taylor has sent me the images below of when she was named Ma Cherie & owned in 1971 by W. J. Clark @ the Koroleuv Beach Hotel, Fiji.

And more from the current owner (click blue txt to view letter)

Letter to Bob Hawke from Graham Wallace regarding Fijian fishing trip

Update 26-07-2019 – photo below ex Peter Rinaldi

Adi Kuila

KOTARE – Builder Interview

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Kotare Page 1
Kotare Page 2
Kotare Page 3
Kotare Page 4
Kotare Page 5

KOTARE  – Builder Interview

Sent in by CYA Nelson member Richard Farrar ex Eddy Marten (current owner)

Designed by Bill Couldrey & built by Frank Wilkins in 1961. She has featured on ww before but recently I received a copy of an interview with Frank Wilkins (dated 8 Oct. 1996). The story makes reference to some of the legends of our boating past.
I think most of us would love to have as much info on our boats as this. Its a great read. Sorry about the faded type but thats how it came to me.
Enjoy 🙂

Mansion House Bay Launches

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Mansion House Bay Launches

Photo ex Simon Smith, courtesy of the Sir George Collection.

The above photo is of Mansion House Bay, Bon Accord Harbour, Kawau Island.

A ‘little’ later than yesterdays photo, thence the colour. A good collection of launches in the bay. Always amazes me how restrained we have got, in these old photos people anchored a lot closer in than we do these days.

How many of the launches can we ID ?

And the large yacht at the wharf?

As always – if you click on the photo, it will enlarge 😉

Schoolhouse Bay Mystery Launches

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Schoolhouse Bay Mystery Launches

Photo ex Simon Smith, courtesy of the Sir George Collection.

The above photo is Schoolhouse Bay, Bon Accord Harbour, Kawau Island.

Who can ID the launches – L>R?

I don’t know the answer, so my guess for the first 2 , starting on the left is –

1. Ngaio – the 1921 Arch Logan
2. Raiona (Mollie > Alcestis) the 1919 Joe Slattery
3. ?
4. ?

Lady Adelaide photo as per HDK’s request

Wenna (Rangitira)

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Wenna (Rangitira)

This 32′ early 1920’s Collings & Bell classic launch would have to be one of the luckiest classics around – a few months ago I gave Rangitira, as she was named then, a big plug on ww as she was for sale on trademe at what was the buy of the year price. Then a few months ago she was ‘adopted’ by Pam Cundy at Whangateau Traditional Boats.

To use Pam’s own words she “pushed through a quick paint job and varnished hatch and mast, now for a new name board to come”. Pam will be reverting to her old name Wenna. She slipped back into the water last week. Looks pretty slick to me & Pam has a great eye for colours.

To read / view photos from her past click this link

Rangitira

Update from Pam Cundy

After several years of watching for a suitable motor boat this felt like an opportune time to purchase. After looking her over with the usual ‘check for …’ And with the usual ‘old boat’ problems the only thing that bothered me was this old girl had seemingly lost her real identity. Fortunately shortly after purchasing her and conducting a search Adrienne and Dave called by with some details and Harold contributed also.

Wenna ( Rangitira) – according to Dave Jackson
Dave identified her as being Wenna – 1940’s to1970’s he knew her to be Wenna.
His friends would say “when are you going to shout?”.
1967-68 Dave purchased her to tow his mullet boat down to the Ponsonby yacht club from Birkenhead.
She had a Morris Commodore petrol engine in her then.
1940’s owner was Mr O’Neil of Ring Terrace Ponsonby. He installed the raised cabin. When Mr O’Neil passed away he left the boat to William ( Bill ) McWhirter.
Bill sold it to Mr Wylie (Jacks father – Boat haulage).

Harold on Wenna
Eric Cathbart Fergus O’Neil of Ponsonby (b.1886,d.1957), engineer, owned Wenna from at least 1925.
“Unfortunately” Harold said, ” I can’t connect her back to Collings and Bell but if Dave J says Collings and Bell, that was good enough for me”.
O’Neil did a lot of game fishing with her in the mid 1920s and 1930s.
In March1930 she was attacked by a big mako off the Great Barrier, splintering some planks and then got free.

Wenna – ” maiden” or “white seas”

Thanks also to Tim Jackson, previous owner
See you at the Mahurangi Regatta!!!
Pam
An awesome blog Alan and Harold- Look what it turned up for me : )